Drain cover thieves in Surrey have cost the council more than £53,000 in the last four months.

Surrey County Council (SCC) has had 268 complaints of thefts since April, after a similar spate of thefts in Elmbridge two years ago.

SCC is now considering hinged covers that are attached to the base, to deter opportunistic thieves who sell the metal on for scrap.

Councillor David Munro said: “Apart from the cost of each cover, which takes away from funding that could be spent on improving the road network, there is a huge safety concern. The people that do this are obviously not concerned about the safety of drivers who could have a serious accident.”

The cost of repair for each stolen drain or manhole cover is £200, as the frame has to be replaced as well as the cover, but their scrap value is much lower.

“I hope the new covers we’re looking at installing will give these people second thoughts about what they’re doing,” said Coun Munro.